Process of making wooden spoons



June 12,1928. 1,673,519

F. E. LIBBEY PROCESS OF MAKING WOODEN SlfOONS Filed June 6, '7

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jive/25x" Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRANK ELVERT LIBBEY, OF LENNOXVILLE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

. PROCESS OF MAKING WOODEN SPOONS.

Application filed .Tune 6, 1927. Serial No. 196,823.

The invention relates to a process of making wooden spoons and the objects of the invention are to eliminate as far as at present seems possible hand work in the construction of wooden spoons having flat, curved handles; to produce a symmetrical and well finished spoon; to reduce the costs of manufacture in such articles through the use of special methods and machines capable of being carried out and operated by unskilled labor; and generally toprovide in turning out spoons increased production at an equal expenditure of time and labor and maintain the efficiency, and it consists essentially of the mass production hereinafter set forth in its several stages with reference to the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims for novelty following In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View showing an outline of a machine used in the forming of the blanks from the wedge shaped blocks. v

Figure 2 is an outline of the same machine from one end view.

Figure 3 is an outline of the machine for shaping the bowl end and handle of the spoon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the wedge shaped block used in making these spoons.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a blank following the first reduction of the wedge shaped block.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the blank scooped out at one end in forming the bowl.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the blank cut away to outline the bowl and handle.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the spoon showing the final shaping of the bowl.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the process may start with the shaping of these blocks, however, they are preferably ordered III that way, and are fed in quantities one after the other on to a carriage indicated by the numeral 11 in the machine, the ends of the block being propelled by the lugs 12 in said carriage and securely held at the ends.

The blocks successively are pushed through the cutters 13 and 1 1, which leave an uncut portion 15 at one end and an uncut portion 16 at the other end for gripping purposes. The end portions 16 may be cut off before leaving the first machine or after as desired. The bowl 18 of the spoon is made in the thicker end 17 and extends through the gripping portion 15 and in the cutting step of the process this thicker end is formed with a dip at the beginning of the bowl, which levels this spoon in relation to its handle.

These blanks formed by the first cutters are delivered by the machine as explained, and the bowl 18 formed. The gripping portion 15 at the bowl end is trimmed and the I bowl and at the same time shape the ban dle 19.

In the shaping of the spoon after the first cuttings the blocks are fed into a machine having cutters performing the trim- I ming act and removed in succession preferably being fed in at the top of the machine and taken away under the cutters.

The bottom of the bowl is then carefully shaped in a wood working machine of conventional design, so as to give it a nicely rounded surface, extending from a comparatively thick neck 20.

The spoon is fixedly smoothed in an abradingor grinding device and sandpapered to thoroughly clear it from all roughnesses.

The main steps in the process are accon1- plished by automatic machine operating on a particularly shaped block and in the production of wooden spoons this does not seem to have been known before.

The salient features in this invention are first the use of the wedge-shaped block, then the continuous operation of the cutters on succeeding blocks in the formation of the spoon blanks, then the trimming of the blanks in rapid succession, and then the finishing work.

Vhat I claim is The herein described process of making wooden spoons consisting of first shaping a wooden block in the form of a Wedge and )0 clamping the ends thereof in a cutting ma- 

